Gaseous electric discharge device



Jan. 4 1938.. M. J. DRUYVESTEYN ET AL. 2,194,073

GASEOUS ELECTRIC DISCHARGE DEVICE Filed July'28, 1956 mvamrcns Mari J. Druyves'teyn Nicolaas Warmoltz.

Patented Jan. 4, 1938 GASEOUS ELECTRIC DISCHARGE DEVECE Mari J. Druyvesteyn and Nicolaas Warmoltz, Eindhoven, Netherlands, assignors to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application .l'uly 28, 1936, Serial No. 93,112 In Germany August 6, 1935 4 Claims. (Cl. 176-122) The present invention relates to gaseous eleccontaining oxygen is then brought into contact tric discharge devices generally and more parwith the treated surface and the metal in and on ticularly the invention relates to such devices t e gl ss s di The Physical attack of e "the gaseous atmosphere of which consists of or vapor c uses a Slight discoloration of the glass 5 comprises the vapor of a chemically active matebut in many cases it is possible to partially remove 5 rial, such a the vapor of an alkali, or an lkathis discoloration by heating the glass to drive line earth metal. off the metal atoms which have difiused into the One of the problems in the manufacture of u e he e fgaseous electric discharge lamps having a gaseous We have demonstrated that an oxide skin on atmosphere consisting of or comprising a. chemthe Surface of t e g s appreciably diminishes l0 ically active vapor is to obtain container glasses the chemical attack on the ss y the vap rwhich are inert with respect to the h t, i i ed, Our explanation of this result is that the chemchemically active vapor since the lead or lime l attack f the glass y the v por is due to glasses commonly used in the manufacture of the acid oxides on the surface of the glass. The

incandescent lamps and gaseous l t i di oxide skin of the present invention covers these 15 charge lamps containing an inert a h as acid oxides with basic or amphoteric oxides of neon, are strongly attacked and blackened by the alkali or alkaline earth metals or with alumisuch vapors, Recently special b ili t num oxide so that the acid oxides are protected glasses have been developed hich a b t from the metal vapor. It is not essential that tially immune from attack by such vapors d the skin be a continuous one since appreciable 20 which retain their transmissibility for the light protection is afforded thereby even w n y emitted by the ionized vapor for a period which the SPOtS at Which t acid Oxides 0f e glass makes a discharge lamp having a container mad come to the surface are covered by the protective of such glass commercially feasible. oxide skin.

The object of the present invention is to pro- Particularly good results are obtained when the 25 vide a simple, inexpensive method of treating the glass is covered with a skin consisting of the oxide usual container glasses of gaseou el tri di of that metal which is present in the vapor form charge devices to render said containers immune in the device during the Operation e f, f r from attack by chemically active material, such example, We Prefer to pp y a Skin Of sodium or as vapors of the alkali or alkaline earth metals. magnesium oxide to the Surface of e ass eon- 30 Another object of the invention is to provide a teiner w n the gaseous atmosphere of th lamp gaseous electric discharge lamp the gaseous at- Consists 0f 0r comprises sodium or nesium mosphere of which consists of or comprises a VaDOIH Similarly when barium Vapor is P sent chemically active metal vapor which lamp is inin the lamp during Operation e eof a barium expensively manufactured and which has a long oxide skin on the glass surface is preferred. The

35 useful operating life. Still further objects and disintegration or vaporization temperature of the advantages attaching to the device and to its metal oxide skin is higher than the temperause and operation willbe apparent to those skilled t r tt n d by th o tai during t n the -rt fr m t following pa ula s peration of the device. It will be understood that tlonwe include magnesium and beryllium under the 40 We have discovered that the above ob ects are term alkaline meta1s attained when the surface of the glass is covered Several methods of carrying out the invention with the oxide of an alkali or alkahne earth metal are described below by way of example.

s ery f t l' i in bein g i th e rfatu gf f When a glass vessel which is chemically stable is formed on the glass by bringing into contact m the pre sence of sodmm vapqr deslred with the glass surface the vapor f the metal the the following method of treatment is preferred. oxide f which s to form the skim At the same When desired the vessel is of tubular shape and time the glass is heated to a temperature such consists o a glass having the ow g compothat the metal vapor attacks the glass physically, s i- 50 by which we mean that while no perceptible Per cent chemical change is caused in the glass by the (SiOz) metal vapor'a difiusion of the metal particles into (NazO) 20 the glass and an absorption of said particles on (CaO) 10 56 the glass surface takes place. An atmosphere (Bios) 10 u on the glass surface into an oxide.

The tubular glass vessel is first evacuated and is then heated to about 400 C. While the vessel is at this temperature sodium vapor is passed therethron'gh. The sodium vapor attacks the glass surface physically which is indicated by the glass changing to a light brown color. An oxygen attaining atmosphere,- such as air, is then introduced into the vessel while the vessel is heated to a temperature of about 550 C. The oxygen transforms the sodium deposited in and The sodium oxide forms an extremely thin skin which is transparent. After the oxidation of the sodium the vessel is again evacuated while still being heated to a temperatureof 550 C. The vessel is then sealed oif from the exhaust system and allowed to cool. We have demonstrated that a glass vessel treated in the manner described above is more resistant to attack by sodium vapor than a container made of the same glass and not treated in this manner. The demonstration was conducted as follows:

A half gram of sodium was introduced into a glass vessel which had been treated in the above manner and the vessel was then heated to. a temperature of 350 C. in an oven. At the end of 500 hours substantially no discoloration of the glass was apparent. A similar vessel made of 'the same glass but which had not been provided with an oxide skin was subject to the same test but in this case the glass was dark brown in color after only 24 hours at the temperature of 350 C. A vessel treated in the above described manner is useful as the container for a sodium vapor discharge lamp.

We have demonstrated that a container for a magnesium vapor lamp can be made chemically stable in the presence of hot magnesium vapor in substantially the same manner as that described above. Take, for example, a container consisting of a glass having the following composition:

Percent (SiO-z) 57 (CaO) 20 (A1203) 23 In accordance with this invention the container is first evacuated and is then heated to and maintained at a temperature of approximately 500 C. Magnesium vapor is then passed through the lamp until the eifect of a physical attack by the vapor on the glass wall is apparent. Moist air is then introduced into the container and the temperature of the container is then raised to about 600 C. This oxidizes the magnesium in and on the glass surface and the slight discoloration of the glass which takes place during the physical attack by the magnesium vapor on the glass completely disappears. The container is then evacuated and a rare gas, such as argon at a pressure of from 1 to 10 mm., and a quantity of magnesium is introduced into the container after which the container is hermetically sealed. The lamp container described above is chemically stable in the presence of the hot, ionized magnesium vapor during the operation of the lamp and retains its transmissibility for visible light rays and the ultra violet rays emitted by the magnesium vapor for a long operating life of the lamp.

The oxide skin can be applied to the glass vessel in other ways, when desired, for example, a quantity of metal oxide can be vaporized in a vacuum from a suitable support, such as a platinum or platinum-rhodium wire, and can be deposited on the glass in the form of a thin skin. This method is particularly useful in forming a magnesium oxide or an aluminum oxide protect ing skin on the inner surface of a glass vessel.

In the drawing accompanying and forming part of this specification a gaseous electric discharge lamp embodying the invention is shown in a front elevational, partly sectional view.

Referring to the drawing the gaseous electric discharge lamp device comprises a glass container I having main discharge supporting electrodes 2 and 3 and an auxiliary starting electrode 4 sealed therein at the ends thereof. Said electrodes 2 and 3 are electron emitting when heated and consist of a coiled metal filament, such as a tungsten filament having a body of electron emitting material associated therewith, such as barium oxide. therein, such as argon, neon or xenon or a mixture of such gases, at a pressure of approximately 1-to 10 mm. and a vaporizable material therein, such as magnesium. Said container l is made of a glass having the following composition:

Percent Silica (SiOz) 57 Calcium oxide (CaO) 20 Alumina (A1203) 23 Said container I has a thin, protecting, magnesium oxideskin 5 thereon which is applied thereto by the method described above. A magnesium vapor lamp having the above structure has a long useful operating life; is inexpensively manufactured and retains its efficiency for a long period since substantially no light absorbing discoloration of the container walls takes place.

It will be understood of course, that many changes may be made in the steps of the methods above described and in the form and details of the device illustrated without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, for example, said container l is mounted in a heat conservator, such as an evacuated envelope, or a Dewar flask, when desired.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:-

1. A gaseous electric discharge lamp device comprising a container, electrodes sealed therein, a gaseous atmosphere therein comprising a discharge supporting chemically active metal vapor,

said container being subject to attack by said.

vapor, and a thin skin on the inner surface of said container to protect said container from the deleterious efiects of the metal vapor discharge, said skin consisting of the oxide of that metal the vapor of which constitutes part of the gaseous atmosphere of the device.

2. A gaseous electric discharge lamp device comprising a container, electrodes sealed therein, a gaseous atmosphere therein comprising a discharge supporting chemically active metal vapor, said container being subject to attack by said vapor, and a thin skin on the inner surface of said container to protect said container from the deleterious eifects of the metal vapor discharge, said skin consisting of a metal oxide.

3. A gaseous electric discharge lamp device comprising a container, electrodes sealed therein, a gaseous atmosphere therein comprising discharge supporting, chemically active sodium vapor, said container being subject to attack by said vapor, and a thin skin of sodium oxide on the inner surface of said container to protect said container from the .deleterious effects of the sodium vapor discharge. I

Said container I has a starting gas charge supporting, chemically active magnesium vapor, said container being subject to attack by said vapor, and a thin skin of magnesium oxide on the inner surface of said container to protect said container from the deleterious effects of the magnesium vapor discharge.

MARI-J. DRUYVESTEYN. NICOLAAS WARMOLTZ. 

